Combat is definitely a big part of Hunted, but it's definitely not all of it. Environments contain puzzle elements and obstacles and these things are often overcome thanks to Caddoc's strength; for example, in the arena space, Caddoc made it possible for the two of them to progress by toppling some precariously placed stone towers. Of course, he nearly buried himself and E'lara in rubble in the process, which points to the next unique thing about Hunted—its sense of humor. E'lara and Caddoc are an unlikely pair in any case, and they become unlikelier still once you get to know them. In an obvious type reversal, it was the slight, elegant female who kept diving into danger while the big muscular bruiser kept hanging back. E'lara also seemed like the smarter (and more sarcastic) of the two, as indicated by their banter. Upon being accosted by a giant Beholder, Caddoc said, “Do you think it saw us?” whereupon E'lara responded, “It's a giant EYE. What do you think?”

Puzzles and obstacles are only part of Hunted's non-combat equation; exploration makes up the rest of it. As mentioned before, while pursuing their objectives, Caddoc and E'lara often come across prisoners who they either ignore or liberate. These prisoners when saved give greater insight into the game's backstory. Similarly, big, talking stone faces served as gateways to hidden secrets when interacted with and Caddoc and E'lara were also able to talk to dead bodies using their Deathstones (a trinket given to them at the start of the game), thus gaining both information and hints regarding the location of additional secrets. All of this was optional mind you; hardcore action players could have completely ignored the exploration aspect to focus entirely on combat.

Hunted can be played solo but being inherently a multiplayer game, we were told the game contains various multiplayer benefits. First, players can drop into each other's single player games at any time and drop out again, keeping the crystals they'd gathered during their time in the game. Related to this, the host player benefits from their guest's visit, getting to keep not only the crystals they themselves found, but the ones found by their temporary guest. Lastly, the matchmaking system creates a play style profile for you by watching how you play, and then matches you accordingly. You can also add additional parameters to this profile in order to up your chances of finding someone who plays the way you do.

With funny writing, interesting characters, intriguing co-op gameplay and good-looking graphics, it's looking to be the co-op action RPG to beat—whenever it comes out, that is. So far, Bethesda and inXile are being cagey about the actual release date. We can only hope that since the game's been in development for two years already, that its release will be soon. Keep your eyes open for Hunted: The Demon Forge, coming to you “someday” on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.